The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for stretching human muscles to facilitate rotation of the legs in the hip joint.
Flexibility of muscles and increased rotation of the leg in the hip joint are desirous for several reasons. Increased flexibility and rotation enables increased performance in sports involving kicking, such as the martial arts and soccer, and in activities requiring fluid and graceful body movement, such as dance, running and gymnastics. A flexible hip joint enables a classical dancer to turn his or her feet and legs out from the hip joints to a 90 degree position from center, giving the dancer freedom of movement in every direction. Stretched muscles and flexible joints also are less likely to become pulled, torn or otherwise injured during exercise.
Devices and methods designed to increase flexibility of the hip joint and rotation of the leg are known. One simple method consists of nailing ballet shoes to the floor with the heels together and toes 180 degrees apart. A dancer stands in the shoes for an amount of time sufficient to increase rotation in the hip joint. However, this method strains the knee joint and causes it to rotate unnaturally. This method is also cumbersome and sometimes causes the user to fall forward or backward with the risk of serious injury.
Other devices designed to stretch muscles and increase flexibility in the hip joint include a device comprising two metal tubes joined end-to-end by a perpendicular shorter tube. An individual sits on the floor, straps the longer tubes to the legs, one on each ankle, and uses the shorter tube to pull the device toward the body, thus increasing the angle between the longer tubes and forcing the legs apart, causing the leg muscles to stretch. These devices tend to stretch groin muscles instead of hip and leg muscles, creating little or no increased flexibility in the hip joints.
Another known stretching device comprises two trough-shaped receptacles for the legs, joined together by a mechanical locking mechanism. The legs of the user are placed into the troughs and the legs are maintained in a stretched position for a period of time. Body position is limited, because the legs must fit into the troughs. Thus, hip joints are not adequately stretched.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,277,062 to Lawrence discloses an exercising device which enables a user to stretch the leg muscles while seated, with the legs straight out in front of his or her body. The straddle-stretch produced by the Lawrence device, like the above mentioned devices, does not direct stretching to the hip muscle but rather, on the inner leg and groin muscles.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,109,646 to Klein discloses a device designed to facilitate rotation of the legs in the hip joints of a user, comprising a base with a perpendicular rod projecting upward from said base, and a crosspiece parallel to said base. The user sits indian style, places the knees between the crosspiece and the base, and moves the crosspiece downward on the rod, causing the crosspiece to press the knees outward. The Klein device does not allow a user to immediately stop stretching when desired, as the crosspiece must be screwed upward on the rod in order to cease the stretch. Further, the Klein device is cumbersome and difficult to enter and exit.
My U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,150 discloses an apparatus for automated, cyclic stretching of the legs, hip and back muscles. That device enables automated, cyclic stretching of a broad range of muscles but is not particularly adapted to enable a user to focus stretching on the hip joint to increase rotation of the leg to the extent achieved by the present apparatus.
The device of the present invention enables a user to concentrate on stretching the inner leg and hip muscles for the purpose of increasing rotation of the legs in the hip joints. The speed with which muscles are stretched and the legs are rotated in the hips is controlled by the user. The device of the present invention is safe to use, because there is no possibility of a sudden jerk causing pulled muscles.